Caretaker Charged With Fraud on 91-Year-Old

RIVERSIDE (CN) – A Riverside man is awaiting trial for defrauding a 91 year-old woman out of her life savings, about $500,000.

John Glenn Merrill lived rent-free in the victim’s house in exchange for help in daily chores, since the woman is old and suffers from poor vision. He is accused of secretly adding himself as a joint-account holder on to her bank account, then of wire-transferring the money to other accounts and running to Oregon, where he was arrested. The government was able to recover most of the elderly woman’s savings. Merrill has been charged with mail fraud and wire fraud.